Expansion!

     Jeremy and I have been discussing how we can improve and expand our homestead. We have so many great ideas for the house.Our plans include building a proper chicken run, building several raised beds in the front yard, FINALLY making use of the greenhouse, and putting a sandbox in for the girls.
     Currently, the chicken coop is shoved in an old dog kennel about 7x12 feet. The hens have taken over the entire yard and left such a mess that the kids can't play outside anymore. By installing an enclosed run, it will keep the mess contained and off our boots.
     Our vegetable garden is currently two large raised beds we've fenced off from the chickens. Last year we only were able to grow a couple of tomato and bell pepper plants back there. By moving the garden to the (much larger) front yard, we can triple the growing space and the amount of food we produce. I'm hoping to raise lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, kale, collards, peas, beans, onions, and carrots. Yay!
     The greenhouse is a cheap PVC frame with a thick plastic cover and zipper doors. We were too preoccupied (lazy) to build planter boxes for it last year, so it was never used. This year, I plan on using it, no matter what. If I can't get around to building the planters, I'll buy flowerpots. Lots of them. Jeremy wouldn't want me to spend a lot on them, but that what happens if we don't get around to finishing what we started.
     Zoë got a sandbox for her first birthday. She's turning three next month. I think it's time for us to put toys in the yard for the kids. I'd like to get them a swing set as well. All kids need a swing set.
   Stay tuned to watch our projects unfold. It should be a busy year!

The Holiday Spirit in the U.S.A.

I just saw Jeremy off to work for Black Friday, and it I can't help but feel bitter that someone else's consumerist greed is pulling my husband out of bed before dawn so they can make extra money on cheap goods brought in from China. I'm angry that he had to go to work on Thanksgiving only to go to bed right after dinner so he could be up in time for the next morning. He had no less than five customers ask him why he was at work on Thanksgiving. His response? "So I can answer your question, my good sir."
  It doesn't have to be this way. We can shop at a local store, buy online, or make gifts ourselves. I will not buy holiday gifts from stores that make their employees jump through these early morning hoops with out a bonus. These corporations are making money off the tired backs of their workers, who in turn see no benefit.
  I am disgusted by the people who pile their fat pampered asses into their giant SUV's with heated seats so they can stand in line after line to acquire more and more STUFF only hours after they proclaimed to be thankful for what they already had. Thankfulness is just a formality in this country, and that makes my stomach churn.

Fall is Coming

Usually this time of year I'm really sad about the weather changing because that means my garden is dead until next spring. While I was looking around in the yard for hidden eggs, I was really surprised to find my tomatoes and peppers thriving. I picked five peppers and there are hundreds of tomatoes still turning red and the vines were flowering. I think it's time to figure out how to move the little greenhouse over the giant tomato bed to see if we can get fresh tomatoes during the winter. Great experiment, huh?
  Little things like this make me really excited for the possibilities that might be out there. Could I grow lemons here? Or bananas? When we can get a heated greenhouse, how far can we take our homesteading here in the middle of this little city? Perhaps this winter will be more productive than I thought.

Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make Due, Or Do Without

One of the things I've been trying really hard to focus on is trying to get the most out of my belongings. Either by wearing something until it goes in the rag pile or serving leftovers from last nights dinner. This week's project is trying to figure out ways to use up every part of food that goes into my kitchen. Right now it's pumpkin. Last night we had some friends over for pumpkin carving, and today I got nearly three pounds of seeds to toast for snacks later. Pumpkins innards are some of the nastiest, slimiest filth I have ever messed with in my house. The smell of them makes me gag. The seeds, however, are a wonderful snack with a lot of protein that we generally don't get much of around here. By saving the seeds, it allows my family to have an easy, seasonal treat that we couldn't afford otherwise. The pulp is being composted/ thrown about the yard by the chickens.
 With the weather getting colder, I have few ways of getting fresh produce that hasn't been trucked in from across the country, and trying to live the 'Eat Local' mantra is pretty tough when there is a foot of snow on the ground and you really want fresh grapes. This year I've decided to try sprouting seeds and beans for salads. I'm really hopeful that it will work out, because I can very easily save the seeds from my garden when it decides to bolt in the middle of summer.
 I love experimenting with food.

Dried Tomatoes, Pumpkin Seeds, and Sprouting Seeds

Fall

The weather is getting colder, and we're getting ready for it. Kind of. I really hate the cold, especially the snow. One of the things I hate the most about the weather change is that I can't keep the garden going. I like being able to go outside and pick a tomato or a radish to add to dinner.
 Our tomatoes did really well this year. I was able to can six quarts and I still have several pounds to dehydrate. Tomorrow I'm going to dig up the potato bed and see if there are any tubers waiting to be put up. I'm considering dehydrating those as well, but I haven't decided yet. I depends on how many we dig up. Because we didn't get planters built for the greenhouse, I don't get to have collards and lettuce all winter, which makes me very sad. I do plan on making several pounds of cheese this winter, and that makes me very happy.
 I've been avoiding posting because nothing interesting has been happening. Sorry.

Mystery Solved

 For about a week I wasn't finding any eggs in the coop in the morning. It was getting to the point that I thought I'd need to buy some from the store (gasp!) We use a lot of eggs here, and with only three hens we need every last egg. A broken shell is a minor tragedy. I was starting to assume the hens were eating their eggs for whatever reason chickens do, when I saw an egg in the middle of the yard--just sitting there. After I picked it up I figured I'd go on an egg hunt. Peeking behind an old pallet we propped up for shade, I found a HUGE nest with nearly a dozen eggs in it. All the eggs passed the float test, and now I know where they're being hidden.

Naughty chickens think they can hide from me!

Future Salsa

After months of waiting for something to grow in the garden, FINALLY, the first ripe tomatoes. Last year I didn't get any tomatoes out of the garden because the first frost hit early and hard. This year I planted double and I'm going to can most of it. It will also be my first year canning. I need to find a decent salsa recipe. And ketchup. I'd better get started.

These are going to be so good!